The Choice
by DkzDiva
Summary: A choice that's going to change your life as long as you shall live. A choice that will leave you heartbroken no matter what. A choice that'll hurt the people that you love. What would you choose?
1. Chapter 1

He approached her slowly; she was sitting on the couch with her back to him.

"Why are you here Stefan?" She knew it was him, even though she didn't even take her time to give him a look.

He stopped walking. "Klaus and I found the cure."

She got on her feet instantly and turned to him. "How?"

"It's a long story, just thought you might want to know." He told her and turned around, heading for the door.

"Why?"

He turned around and gave her a weird look.

"Why do you even care anymore? I mean I broke up with you."

"No matter how much I try to ignore or hide my feelings, my feelings for you never went away, and no matter how much it hurts I'm not going to turn them off, because it makes me remember everything we went through, everything I did to you, I need to live with what I've done."

"I'm sorry." she told him. She felt sorry for him; she had never meant to hurt him, and even though he had hurt her, she felt like she had hurt him much more.

"Don't. I lost you when I went away with Klaus, and I never really got you back after that."

"But it shouldn't have been like that, you did that to save Damon."

He nodded. "Yeah and I wouldn't have changed that if I could. If I could though, I would change the fact that I bit you and that I used you to get what I wanted out of Klaus."

"Stefan?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you take it? The cure I mean."

"Being with you forever have sounded tempting, but a human life with you, growing old with you, I think I would want that life more, but you're with Damon and wanting you forever is not a life I wish on anybody. So to answer your question yes I would take it. But it's not up to me. Are you going to take it?"

"I never liked the fact that I was a vampire, but Damon showed me that being one was okay, and I stopped resenting myself for it."

"I guess there's your answer then."

"Unfortunately it's not that easy. I was never supposed to live forever. If my parents could see me now, they would hate me for what I've become, and John, he scarified his life to make me keep mine and look where that got me."

"So what's holding you back?" Stefan asked but he soon answered his own question. "Damon of course. I see, well I'll leave this here in case you change your mind." He placed a small bottle by the couch. "It's your own choice." He headed for the door.

"Thank you."

"For what?" He was confused.

"For still letting me make my own decisions."

"It's the only thing I have left, and after everything it's my fault that you are a vampire."

"No. It's not. You did it because I told you to, and that means something to me. If you hadn't Matt would have been dead, and I know for sure I couldn't live with myself if I had let that happen. I'm actually glad it was you that was there, because Damon would have let Matt die no matter what I'd told him. So thank you."

Stefan gave her a smile and left. Elena took a look at the bottle; it was filled with some yellowish fluid.

A tear fell from her eye. Her choice would change her life for as long as she would live. Jeremy came down from upstairs "I thought I heard voices."

She nodded. "Stefan, he just left."

"What did he want?"

"He came to give me this." She pointed at the bottle and gave him a slight smile.

"He found it?" Jeremy asked surprised.

"Yes he and Klaus did."

"What are you waiting for? Drink it!"

"It's not that easy." She looked down.

"Why not? I thought you hated being a vampire?"

"I did, but Damon…."

He cut her off. "What, Damon just changed that completely, just because you let him in?"

"Jere.."

"Elena, don't do this for him!"

"I'm not." She sighted.

"Then what is it? Cause I sure don't understand."

"If I become human, then what happens? Do we go back to all the old problems? At least right now I'm immortal, and can defend myself."

"But is that really what you want?"

"I don't know. If you had asked me a month ago, I'd say hell no. But I've accepted who I am now."

"Have you?" Jeremy asked her. "Because I think being a vampire has been harder for you than being human."

She sighed and shook her head. "I don't know what to do."

"I think you do Elena, I think you're just afraid you're going to lose someone you love when you do."

Tears began to fall. "It'll never stop. If I become human it'll never stop!"

He nodded and wiped away her tears. "Yes it will. However if you stay a vampire, it'll follow you _forever_."

"I never wanted this. I wanted to grow old, to have children." She sobbed.

"I know." Jeremy wrapped his arms around her. "I know."

She walked over to the couch and looked at the bottle. I'm going to lose him. She thought to herself. She had chosen Damon hadn't she? But now she got a feeling that she had made the wrong choice or at least that there was something she couldn't explain. She knew she had to choose, but choosing also meant losing. And she didn't want to lose either one.

This should just have been a stupid nightmare, she thought to herself. A nightmare that seemed so real, but when I wake up I'll still be human. Yeah that sounds nice. But being human also meant that she would have to leave them one day, which weren't something she liked the thought of. I guess I have to make one choice before that, she thought to herself. Whether I'm going to become human again, or stay a vampire _forever._


	2. Chapter 2

Elena turned to Caroline, she of all people should know what she was going through. After all she had been changed within the past year too. Elena rushed in to Caroline's room, smacking the door to the side. Any person would have gotten a heart attack by that, but Caroline didn't even flinch.

"If you want to scare me, you need to do better than that." Caroline told her and turned around.

"I wasn't supposed to scare you."

"Then why did you run like you were being followed by a lion?"

"Because I need to talk to you about something really important."

"Spill."

"They found the cure!"

"What?" Caroline almost jumped. "I saw Klaus today and he didn't tell me."

"Well I think they only have the bottle Stefan gave me, but I'm not sure."

"Why would he want you to.." And then Caroline answered her own question. "Of course you are the doppelganger. He wants more hybrids."

Elena nodded. "But I don't know if I'm going to."

"Because of Klaus?"

Elena shook her head. "I don't know if that's what I want. I mean I became a vampire for a reason didn't I?"

"You really think so? Because I think you became one because of Meredith and your own stubbornness."

"What do you mean?"

"Meredith gave you the Damon's blood didn't she?"

"Yes. Well I feel like it's okay to be a vampire."

"Do you? Because you look worse than ever. Sorry hun, but you have never been a good vampire. Think about what you did to Jeremy."

"I guess you're right."

"What would you choose?"

"I don't want to leave Tyler. I mean if I become human. Where does that leave us? I'll grow old and he won't."

"But if you weren't with Tyler?"

"Then I would want to become human again."

Elena sighed she knew what she had to do. But somehow it still didn't feel like the right choice.

"You know how my dad hated me for what I'd become and so did my mom. So of course I would want to be human again. Without hesitation. But with Tyler I just don't want to leave him."

"I know what you mean. I don't want to leave any of them either."

"You have to choose Elena. Your feelings for Damon have been a lie. Everything he told you to do, you did without thinking twice about it. Remember he's the reason for why you killed Connor. He's the reason for why you needed to hurt people. It's not since you broke the bond, that you've become more like yourself again."

Elena drove home, only to find Klaus with Jeremy. "What are you doing here?"

"I see you haven't taken the cure yet."

"No."

"Well let's make a deal. You take the cure and I make Damon turn off his feelings for you, or Stefan. I can't keep up with your love triangle anymore. But whichever works best for you, and the two of you can live happily ever after without the other."

"No!"

"No, then I'm sorry, but sweet Jeremy here won't make it. I think your friend Bonnie won't like to hear that you are the reason she lost another one that she loves."

"Don't hurt him!" Elena almost screamed and Klaus grabbed his right arm around him and was ready to bite him in the neck.

"ELENA!" Jeremy screamed afraid of what Klaus was going to do. Klaus bit Jeremy's neck, which made him scream loudly, and Elena jumped at Klaus but he pushed her away instantly.

"I'm stronger than you love." He told her and then Elena's focus was on Jeremy's neck, blood was dripping to the floor, and Elena's eyes had already changed.

"Having some problems by controlling your thirst?" Klaus laughed. "Do we have a deal?" Elena didn't really pay any attention to what he was saying, all she thought of was Jeremy's blood.

"Do we have a deal?" Klaus asked a little louder and this time Elena nodded.

"Good, looking forward to hearing your heart beat again sweetheart." He let go of Jeremy who fell to the floor and Klaus stormed out. Elena still had both eyes on Jeremy's neck.

"Elena don't!" Jeremy said and gave her a scared look; Elena jumped over to him and placed her mouth on his neck, letting herself drink his blood. She let go and began to cry. "I'm so sorry Jere. I didn't mean to. I'm really sorry." But Jeremy had lost a lot of blood and wasn't really answering. Elena bit her own wrist and told Jeremy to drink her blood. While he was drinking all she thought of was that this had to stop. She couldn't do this anymore. She had already hurt Jeremy twice and she knew that she would lose him eventually if she didn't turn. And one thing she knew for sure: taking Jeremy's life was going to destroy her completely.

Elena couldn't stop crying, but she managed to call Bonnie anyway. Bonnie came over 5 minutes later looking confused at Jeremy who was now lying on the couch and then at Elena. "What happened?"

"Klaus came. He wanted me to take the cure . He wanted to make a deal and when I refused he threatened Jeremy. And I almost killed Jeremy because of that."

"I already knew they found it."

"How do you know?"

"I had to help them break a curse."

"Stefan and Klaus?"

Bonnie nodded. "That's why Jeremy lost his powers again, and isn't a hunter any longer. I guess in some way his mission was accomplished?"

"I see." Elena spoke, but didn't really know what to think of it all. She was still upset about what happened.

"He's okay right?" Bonnie asked Elena referring to Jeremy. She walked over and sat in a chair so that she was able to reach Jeremy's hand.

Elena nodded and tears began to fall again. "Yes. I'm just afraid I'm going to hurt him again. And you are the only one I know will protect him from me. I mean I need someone to be here who loves him just as much as me. So I can be sure he's safe no matter what. Damon and even Stefan for that matter would choose me over him any day, but I know you won't. "

"Elena..?"

"No Bonnie it's true. I don't trust myself around him anymore, and if I lose him because of what I'm capable of. I'll never forgive myself. It'll destroy me."

"Elena don't hate yourself."

"Bonnie you hate what I've become as well. I remember how you reacted when Caroline turned. This isn't different. You hate vampires."

"Mostly Damon." Bonnie said with a smile. "You I can live with."

"But you shouldn't it isn't right."

Jeremy woke up and looked confused around. "What happened?"

"I'm so sorry Jeremy. I shouldn't have. I have to go."

"Elena don't." Bonnie told her.

"Yes, I have to."

Jeremy looked at Bonnie. "What did she do?"

"She bit you."

For some reason some of the cure had gone which Elena didn't understand, but anyway right now her mind was at Jeremy. She was heading to the Salvatore house. When she entered the house, he came down quickly. He gave her a confused look.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked him confused.

Stefan walked over and touched her cheek, but removed her hand instantly. "You're warm."

"What?" Elena was confused.

"Your skin it's warm." He touched her chest at the place of her heart. "I can hear your heartbeat."

And then Elena remembered, before she had called Bonnie she had taken the cure. But she had been so sad at that moment that she didn't remember.

"So do I look different?"

"No still as beautiful, but you have gotten your red cheeks back."

Elena blushed and looked down. "I'm human she then said."

"You're human." Stefan repeated.

Elena giggled, and then she fell, but before she hit the ground Stefan caught her.


	3. Chapter 3

Elena slowly opened her eyes and looked around. "Where am I?"

"My room." Stefan spoke.

"God it feels like ages since I've last been in here. You changed it?"

"Yes. I needed change."

"What happened?" She spoke quietly.

"You passed out."

"But why?"

"It's the blood. Your body resents it."

"But why?"

"I suppose you drank some blood bags yesterday?" He asked.

She nodded and gave him a confused look.

"Your blood type is O negative. What you drank must have been positive."

"A positive." she said.

"I don't know if you know, but if you transplant blood from someone with a positive blood type to someone with a negative blood type that person dies."

"You're saying I'm dying. Because I have positive blood in my body?" She asked being all out of it.

"Relax I'm not letting you die." He told her and gave her a smile. "I gave you something that is gonna make you throw up."

"So.." Elena didn't say anything else before she threw up the first time, but luckily Stefan was already by her side holding a bowl for her to throw up in. "Good thing you're faster than me." She faked a smile and Stefan laughed.

"So I have to throw up everything?" She asked and Stefan nodded.

"I think it's the only way."

"But how do you know?"

"To be honest I don't, but I think it's going to help you."

They both heard footsteps coming towards the room. "Who's that?" Elena asked confused.

"Meredith." Stefan said as she entered the room. "She's going to give you an IV so that you don't get dehydrated."

"You really thought of everything didn't you?" Elena asked him.

"Hopefully, I'm not ready to lose you again."

"Hi Elena." Meredith said. "You okay, how is it to be human again?"

"Tough."

Both Stefan and Meredith laughed. "Well I'm sure you'll feel better in a few hours."

"Well hopefully."

Meredith left again after giving her the IV and all Elena could think about was Stefan.

"You feeling better?" Stefan asked her.

"I guess a little. I'm sorry." She told him.

"For what?"

"Everything. For looking like Katherine, for falling for you and then breaking your heart. For Damon getting bitten by Tyler, for you having to leave with Klaus. I'm sorry for all of it."

"None of those things were your fault."

"I'm sorry for falling for Damon. That was all me."

"But you probably wouldn't have fallen for him like you did if I hadn't left."

"Don't. Don't try to make all of this okay. I hurt you. I stepped on you. I tore out your heart and that's not okay." Elena spoke with tears forming in her eyes. "If I could I would take everything back, and we would go back to the lake house about a year ago. Remember, when we talked about our future?"

He nodded. "I want that Stefan."

"But you can't." He told her.

"I know. Because we aren't the same people. And I've hurt you too much and I don't deserve you."

"So you want me over Damon."

She shook her head. "I'm not sure."

"Elena you need to figure out what you want. You can't keep doing this. It isn't fair!"

"I know. But I want to grow old. I don't know if both of you are willing to do that!"

"Neither do I. But are you going to make your choice based on that!" He was getting mad.

"No."

Damon entered the room. "YOU ARE HUMAN!" he yelled.

"It looks like it." She faked a smile and threw up again.

"You did this!" Damon looked at Stefan.

"No Damon, I took the cure myself." Elena spoke.

"What happened to you?" He asked.

"I fixed myself." She said

"Is that what you think? You think this is you?" He looked at her sore and tired body all pale covered in sweat.

"I'm getting better. I just need the blood to leave my system."

"Maybe this will work." Stefan said and bit his wrist. He walked over to Elena and she drank it.

"I think it's helping." Elena spoke.

"You're a vampire!" Damon said.

"No Damon, don't deny this. I'm human again and always will be."

"That's just a matter of time." He placed his hand on her head ready to break her neck.

"Damon don't I want to be human. I chose this."

Damon let go of her head. "So you choose Stefan too?"

"I don't know." She shook her head. "I never unfell for him."

"Elena you have said this a hundred of times. I know you love him. But I want to know whom you choose. Just because you are human, you still have to make a choice. If you love someone set them free right." Damon said.

"No!" Elena shrieked.

"You need to choose, and this choice have to be the last one." Stefan said. "I'm tired of getting you back and then lose you again."

"No matter who you choose. You fight for it, because if you don't. You're going to lose us both." Damon told her.

Elena threw up again. "I'm getting better Stefan." She assured him.

He smiled at her. "That's good. I would hate to lose you for good."

"Damon will you take the cure?" She asked.

"What?" Stefan asked. He thought Elena had already chosen, and that she had chosen Damon.

"I don't know. I guess it depends on your choice. If you choose me, I would rather that you were a vampire and that we could live together for eternity."

"Damon I'm not changing back." Elena told him. "This is my life now. This is how my life always was supposed to be. I'm not a vampire."

"You were." Damon said.

"And I wasn't really good at it was I?" She asked both.

"You could be, you became better at it." Damon said.

"Damon I chose to be human again. Not Stefan or anyone else, me. And I would like to stay this way no matter what. I don't want to live forever. I want to grow old and have a family. I want all of that."


End file.
